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 "I would love to do public interest after graduation but I also need to pay off my student loans!" We often hear this lament in the Career Services Office from students who are interested in a public service career after graduation but do not think it is a possible avenue for them if they also want to be able to pay off their large amount of student loans. The Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Law: The College Cost Reduction Act of 2007 was created to address this problem so that pursuing a career in public service and being able to pay off student loans may no longer be mutually exclusive. The Act helps public service attorneys in two ways: 1. Lowers monthly student loan payments on federally guaranteed student loans (called Income Based Repayment or IBR)
2. Forgives remaining debt for public servants after 10 years of public service employment (called Loan Forgiveness for Public Service) Under IBR, annual loan payments may be no more than 15% of discretionary income. Under the Loan Forgiveness for Public Service, if a borrower makes 120 qualifying loan payments on a Federal Direct Loan (including Federal Direct Consolidation loans) while working full-time for 10 years in public service, the unpaid balance is forgiven by the federal government. Public service employment is defined as: - employment in a 501(c)(3) organization; or - employment in government (local,state, federal, and tribal; including military and employment in public schools and universities); or - service in a full-time AmeriCorps position; and - employment in a "public service organization" (including legal services). The Financial Aid Office will hold a Loan Repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness Seminar on Thursday, November 13th, Room 305, 3:00pm - 4:30pm where they will go into the guidelines and benefits of this new program in more detail. Interested students should RSVP by emailing finaid@nesl.edu. Additional information on the Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Law is also available on the Equal Justice Works site.
A recent study conducted at a top 25 law firm found that law school rank and grade point average are not the best predictors of success at large law firms. In an article in the ABA Journal, one of the study's authors, Ron Paquette, notes, "The Harvard attorneys do not perform any better than those at the 30th-ranked law school."
So, what are better predictors of success? Participation in extra-curricular activities and collegiate-level athletics were among the 12 factors identified as better predictors for big firm success with success being defined as "longer tenure at the firm, higher productivity, and being a good cultural fit, based on an evaluation by a human resources staffer." All of the factors could be categorized as attributes connected to leadership.
"Based on his experience in corporate America, [Paquette] believes attributes such as an ability to adapt and get along with people contribute to success more than technical expertise. 'When you look at people skills, it really comes down to working well on a team,' he says, 'In reality, the best performing teams are the ones that learn to get along and leverage each other's skills.'"
It should be noted that this study only examined lawyers who were already "the cream of the crop." However, the results do indicate that those with the top grades from the top law schools aren't any more likely to succeed in an large firm environment than those from other schools with simply good grades.
Click here to read the entire article in addition to a lively discussion in the ABA Journal's comments section!
There are a number of articles out there addressing the issue of the current economy and the legal employment market for upcoming graduates.
The Boston Business Journal covers the issue of the legal market in Boston in particular:
"Elizabeth Armour, director of employer relations at Suffolk University Law School, acknowledges that summer associates are no longer guaranteed job offers at the end of the summer, as large law firms - facing an uncertain economic future - grow increasingly reluctant to load up on young associates who collect $160,000 first-year paychecks. [...]
James Leipold, executive director at the National Association for Law Placement in Washington, D.C. said that while his organization does not have data yet on offer percentages, he has anecdotal evidence that points to lower offer rates in Boston this year, which hit 97.9 percent in 2007, according to NALP. [...] 'All bets are off because this situation continues to change, ' said Leipold. 'The economic situation is so fluid. We've certainly heard that some firms are not making offers to everyone.'"
How does this news affect your job search? Both the New York Lawyer and the National Law Journal provide articles with practical tips.
Cameron Stracher, a professor at New York Law School, writes in the New York Lawyer (via The American Lawyer), "The wise job-hunter will cast a deeper net, focusing on firms with niche practices that have not been hit by the downturn or groups within firms that have not been popular. [...] Take lots of meetings. Networking is more important than ever, which means talking to everyone you know, and even people you don't. "
However, the National Law Journal disagrees with Stracher's advice to postpone your job search by entering into an LL.M. program.
"'I've got students coming in asking if they should go for an LL.M.,' said Carole Montgomery, director of career development at George Washington University Law School in Washington. If students want to pursue the advanced law degree to avoid looking for a job, Montgomery advises against it. 'I tell them, 'you need to make a good-faith effort to get yourself a job,' ' she said."
While it is still unclear how today's economic events will affect the legal employment market six months from now, one thing everyone can agree on is that the post-graduate job search will take longer than it has in the past and now is the time to start!
"The delays in start dates and the slowdown in hiring will leave many people unemployed late into the year or even after graduation. 'Make a mental (and financial) plan that the job hunting process will take six to eight months,' says Meg Reuter, Assistant Dean for Career Planning at New York law School." ( New York Lawyer)
Adds Gail E. Cutter, Senior Managing Director of SLJ Attorney Search, in her NYL article, ,"It takes discipline to take charge of your career when so many people are freaking out. Panic won't help, but neither will maintaining the status quo while the legal world morphs all around you." ( New York Lawyer)
Thoughts or questions on this article? Post them in our comments section!
This time of year our office often meets with students who are worried because they did not find summer employment through the Fall Recruitment Program (FRP). Do not worry! Only 10% of legal employers hire through FRP. Medium and small firms, and most other legal employers, do not hire on a specific schedule. They hire people when they have a need. Often, these employer hire part-time law clerks and interns during the school year and those positions continue into the summer. There are also many employers who offer their part-time law clerks permanent employment after graduation. There are many ways to find positions at these firms and organizations. Many post summer and academic year positions on our Recruitment & Programming Center (RPC) JobNet. Students should also use other on-line job resources including Craigslist, PSLawNet, the Government Honors & Internship Handbook and other sites listed on our on-line job resources handout available in the CSO. In addition to applying to the jobs that are posted, students should also contact employers directly using the Martindale directory, Lexis or Westlaw. Most importantly, every job search should include networking. At least half of all positions are obtained by informal means. Over half of the 229 students who completed our 2008 Summer Survey found their positions through networking or a referral by a friend, family member, or colleague. This does not mean a student needs to come from a family of lawyers in order to find a job. There are a variety of opportunities for law students to meet and network with attorneys, including informational interviews, bar association events, conferences and seminars, CSO panels and programs, and using the New England Law alumni network.
Remember: the Fall Recruitment Program may be the most visible hiring program for summer legal positions, however most students obtain summer positions through our job postings, contacting employers on their own, networking, or through their part-time school year positions. By following the above recommendations, it is highly likely that you will be able to secure employment throughout law school and beyond. Need to discuss your job search? Call the Career Services Office at 617-422-7228 to make an appointment with a career counselor today! Questions or comments? Post them in our comments section.
 With the recent events on Wall Street, many students are wondering how the current economy will affect their job search. How hard will it be to find a job upon graduation? Will there be any jobs available for new attorneys? Are there some practice areas that are recession-proof? These are all good questions. While certain practice areas such as real estate and corporate transactions have been detrimentally affected by today's economy, there are a number of fields that are not drastically affected by the current climate as well as others that do especially well when the economy dips. To paraphrase Ben Franklin, there is nothing certain in this world except death and taxes. We can also add two other items to this list of certainties: crime and divorce. Because there will always be taxes, divorce, crime, and death, law practices involving tax, family law, criminal law and probate are relatively unaffected by economic downturns. Family, criminal defense, and probate law practices are most common among smaller firms and solo practitioners while tax law may be practiced in both a small or large firm setting as well as within government organizations. An obvious legal field that is getting a lot more work at the moment is bankruptcy. Large firm bankruptcy practices are especially busy in light of current events. Bankruptcy cases can also generate work for other practice groups within a firm, including litigation, tax, and securities. While a job search may take longer during a weak economy than it would during boom times, the same job search resources and strategies should be applied. Every successful job search includes not only applying for jobs that are posted but also contacting employers directly, conducting informational interviews, getting referrals from family and friends, and networking. Most importantly, students should not wait until graduation to begin looking for employment. Taking an active role in your job search now and doing more than just applying to job postings is the best way to guarantee employment under any economic condition. Questions or concerns on this subject? Feel free to post them in our comments section! For further reading... "Crisis gives and takes away at law firms" (Boston Business Journal) "Boom Time for Bankruptcy?" (The New York Lawyer)
 This week's question in the "Crossroads" column of the New York Lawyer asks whether or not it is a hindrance for a student to work as a paralegal as opposed to a law clerk. This is a question we get a lot in the Career Services Office, especially from evening students who are working full- time. Below is the answer from Linda E. Laufer, the Director of Career Development at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. " One of the difficulties for many evening students is the inability to give up the financial stability of their current position so that they can gain legal experience. As a paralegal, you are in a position to mitigate that issue. How much advantage you gain can depend on factors such as your responsibilities and the type of matters that you handle.
In looking at your resume and comparing to other candidates in your class year, employers will be particularly interested in the exact nature of your legal skills and substantive knowledge. For example, they are likely to look for legal research and writing. Without the opportunity to exercise those skills, or engage in other work similar to that performed by your classmates, you can be at a disadvantage.
[...]Consider whether you can ask your current employer for assignments that will enable you to accomplish that goal. If your employer hires law clerks, perhaps you could be placed in one of those positions. "
In short, it is the work you are doing rather than the job title that is important. The danger of becoming a paralegal instead of a law clerk is that the substantial bulk of your work will be administrative. However, if your employer is also able to assign you in-depth legal research and writing assignments, then serving as a full-time paralegal while attending law school is a good way to gain legal experience.
For more advice from the Crossroads column, visit the New York Lawyer website. You will need to register to access the site, however registration is free.
During the Fall Recruitment Season our office receives many resume questions and requests for critiques. From our experience, below are the most frequent resume errors and questions.
Juris Doctor or Juris Doctorate?
When you receive your diploma from New England Law it will say that you received a "Juris Doctor degree." Thus, we advise all students to list their degree as "Juris Doctor" instead of "Juris Doctorate."
Memorandum and Memoranda
If you drafted one memo, refer to it as a memorandum. If you drafted more than one memo, refer to them as memoranda. The use of memo and memos is considerably less formal and there is no such word as "memorandums".
Words Not Caught Bye Spellcheck
We all know that spellcheck is not perfect. It may want to turn your Juris Doctor into a Jurist Doctor and it does not catch misuse of homonyms (i.e. bye instead of by) . It will also miss those misspellings that also happen to be words. Below are a couple of frequent errors we find on student resumes:
Trail instead of Trial
Complied instead of Compiled
...and Public without the "l" is a completely different word and probably not one you'd like to have on your resume!
Spellcheck can be great, but please remember to have one or two others look over your resume for those errors that spellcheck may not find.
Listing your Clinic and Study Abroad Program
Your clinic should be listed under your legal experience section. Ask the clinical office for information about how to list your job description and job title.
You may list your study abroad two ways: either as a subsection under your school section or as a separate school. Here are two examples:
New England School of Law, Boston, MA
Candidate for Juris Doctor, May 2010
Study Abroad: National University of Ireland, Program in International and Comparative Human Rights Law, Galway, Ireland, Summer 2008
or
National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
Study Abroad Program in International and Human Rights Comparative Law, Summer 2008
Listing Publications
Publications should be listed as a subsection under your school like so:
Publications: Subsidize Housing and HUD Projects: Economic Confinement on Low-Income Families, New England Journal on Criminal and Civil Confinement, Volume 31, Winter 2004-2005
Note: If you do not yet know the publication date, write Publication Pending where you would normally list the volume and issue.
One page or two?
Your resume should be one page. The only exception to this rule is if you have five years or more of professional work experience between college and starting law school.
But I have a lot of experience and it won't fit onto one page!
Try the following: - Make your margins smaller. Adjust your margins to at least .5" on each side.
- Make your font size smaller. The smallest your font size can be is 10 points.
- List your address on one line running across the page.
It is still going onto a second page.
Send it to us! The career counselors in the CSO are well versed in the tricks to the trade as to how to get a resume onto one page. We are always here to help. Please feel free to email your resume to cso@nesl.edu to be reviewed by a counselor.
For more tips on how to write the perfect legal resume, read the resume section of our handbook! 
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